leprosy

1. (pathology, medicine) An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, gradually producing nerve damage and patches of skin necrosis and historically handled by permanently quarantining its sufferers.Examples: "Then is it surely a leprosy"; "The great London doctors knew nothing about leprosy and cared less."; "The new drug—diaminodiphenylsulphone... offers the first certain cure... and leprosy can be cured in six months"Synonyms: Hansen's disease, lepra, mesel, measles, elephantiasis, Greek elephantiasis, Greek leprosy, Greek leprauncountableusually

2. (medicine, now usually proscribed) Similar contagious skin diseases causing light patches of scaly skin, particularly psoriasis, syphilis, vitiligo, scabies, and (biblical) the various diseases considered "tzaraath" in the Old Testament.proscribeduncountableusually

3. (figurative) Anything considered similarly permanent, harmful, and communicable, particularly when such a thing should be handled by avoidance or isolation of its victims.Examples: "Sin is a spiritual leprosy."figurativelyuncountableusually

4. (veterenary medicine) A contagious disease causing similar effects in animals, particularlyabbreviationalt-ofellipsisuncountableusually

5. (veterenary medicine) A contagious disease causing similar effects in animals, particularlySynonyms: mange and glanders in horsesobsoleteuncountableusually

6. (obsolete, rare) Synonym of leprosarium: a place for the housing of lepers in isolation from the rest of society.Synonyms: leprosariumobsoleterareuncountableusually